Fen Head Back to the Studio to Record the Follow-up to their Massively Successful Ripple Debut, "Trails Out of Gloom"

 

Heavy Planet hailed "Trails Out of Gloom" as one of the "best albums of 2010."  Infernal Masquerade proclaimed "Trails" to be one of the "Top 10 Albums of the Year!"  Imagine Echoes and Prognaut both raved that "Trails" was on their "Best of" year's end list, and Progressions Magazine gave "Trails" a perfect 16 out of 16 score, gushing that "Trails was "consistently enchanting from start to finish" and called it "Fantastic in every way" as they proceeded to give it their "highest possible rating!"

So what does a band do for an encore after accolades like that? For Fen, the answer will be given soon as the band has just announced that they're honing a new batch of songs for a trip back to the recording studio in December. Tour dates are sure to follow.

While no one knows what to expect from the fertile minds of the Fen maestros, one thing we do know is to expect the unexpected.  Doug Harrison has said that the next album will be darker and heavier than "Trails," not simply a retreading of old sounds. Fen are eager to expand. Explore. The anticipation builds.

In other Fen news, plans are underway for a deluxe vinyl edition of "Trails Out of Gloom," intended to be released coinciding with the band's summer tour dates.  As a special bonus, songs from Fen's previous, self-released album "Congenital Fixation" is being prepared for inclusion as a special bonus digital download with the album.  Two great Fen albums for the price of one!

In the meantime, the "Trails Out of Gloom" CD is still available in limited quantities from the Ripple Music store  Be sure to get yours before supplies run out.

And if you missed the video for Fen’s latest single, “Miracle”, check it out here: Miracle Video


"Consistently enchanting from start to finish, Trails out of Gloom is one of the more rapturous releases you're likely to encounter in quite some time.  It is fantastic in every way.  Highest possible rating, 16/16." -- Progressions Magazine

"Trails Out of the Gloom is reminiscent of 70s progressive rock with a modern prog rock kick. Trails Out of the Gloom isn't as "spacey" as Pink Floyd sometimes get. But, like Gilmour's work, the solos simply soar and the guitars are truly beautiful and epic. It's heavy, in the way that a lot of progressive rock is heavy (like Porcupine Tree) but that has more to do with atmosphere than with amplifiers. Most of this CD is acoustic guitar and lighter rock'n'roll ... and yet the CD often sounds dark. It's a fascinating combination."  -- Rough Edge

“This CD will impact you immediately, but the true brilliance of Trails Out of Gloom comes from further absorption. This is a stellar release. "-- Sea of Tranquility

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

Also available at CDBaby, Amazon.com, Ebay, and All That Is Heavy.com

 

Fen to Open for Steven Wilson and Blackfield as They Launch Their North American Tour

 Blackfield are starting their North American tour today in support of their new album, Welcome To My DNA and the Ripple will be there.  Ripple artist, Fen, has been chosen to open for Blackfield for their Vancouver date.  Come to the show and look up Pope and Racer and have some Ripple fun.


  
North American Tour Starts Today
Get Free Music Plus A Special Foursquare Deal On The New Album  


Blackfield, the acclaimed collaboration between Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Israeli artist Aviv Geffen, launch their North American tour today in Washington, DC.  The three week trek sees the band hit the US, Canada and Mexico with special guests Anathema on the first nine dates.

Their 3rd studio album, Welcome To My DNA, was released in April on Kscope and has garnered amazing accolades around the world where magazines such as Rocksound called it "Blackfield's finest hour" and Dave DiMartino at Yahoo Music says "Arty, melodic, adventurous, and significantly catchy throughout, Welcome To My DNA is a nifty and sophisticated rock album"

To celebrate the start of the tour, the music television network Fuse.tv is giving away a free download of "Glass House" at http://fuse.tv/music/free-music.html?artist_id=532. 

Another special promotion starting today is via Foursquare.  When fans arrive at each date of the tour and check in on Foursquare, they'll get a discount code for the album from The Omega Order. Fans can find the code redemption instructions under the "tips" section of the venue called "Blackfield with special guests Anathema".

You can also purchase the new album now at:
iTunes
Amazon
and pick it up at great independent retailers such as

Repo Records, Rolling Stones and Rhino Records 

BLACKFIELD
"Welcome To My DNA"
Kscope

MAY

18th Washington, DC  

19th Philadelphia, PA, Theater of the Living Arts  

20th New York, NY, Irving Plaza  

21st Boston, MA, Royale Boston  

23rd Montreal, QC, Le National  

24th The Opera House Toronto 

25th Cleveland, OH, House of Blues  

26th Detroit, MA, St Andrew's Hall  

27th Chicago, IL, Park West  

30th Vancouver, BC, Rickshaw Theatre   

31st Seattle, WA, Studio Seven  

JUNE

1st Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater  

3rd San Francisco, CA, Slim's  

4th Los Angeles, CA, El Rey Theatre  

6th Mexico City, MEX, Metropolitan Theater  

World Premiere of Fen's New Video "Miracle" Debuts on Heavy Planet

 

We’ve been talking about this for a few months and it’s all finally coming true . . . Fen’s first official video is complete and ready to be viewed by the masses! Tuesday, February 8^th, the video for the band's second single from the Trails Out of Gloom album, “Miracle”, will exclusively air on the Heavy Planet web site (hint, hint . . . view the video here .   Heavy Planet) before it’s made available through other viewing avenues. At the same time, “Miracle” is landing on the desks of radio programmers across the nation in a concerted effort to push the track. Produced by Mind of a Snail Co. and featuring a couple of hand-made marionettes, the video tells the visual tale of two young lovers finding out just how miraculous love can be.

“The speaker is pining to regain the initial spark of a relationship,” states singer/guitarist Doug Harrison on the meaning behind the song. “He pleads with whatever mysterious power brought them together, hoping that it will help him fully remember that miraculous union, and through this knowledge, bring them closer together again,” he explains.



In support of Trails Out of Gloom, Vancouver’s progressive alt-gloomsters are preparing for dates across Canada in the Spring, as well as a special tour that will feature live performances in select ghost towns. More information will be made available as soon as the details are worked out on all fronts! 

Video:  Heavy Planet

Here's what the press has to say about Trails Out of Gloom:

"Consistently enchanting from start to finish, Trails Out of Gloom is one of the more rapturous releases you're likely to encounter in quite some time.  It is fantastic in every way.  Highest possible rating, 16/16." -- Progressions Magazine

"It’s one of the better if not the best release in 2010!” – Prognaut

"Doug Harrison is one of the new remarkable talent in the prog scene. Beautifully structured songs that almost drown in the right emotions and are decorated with tasteful arrangements.  Fen resembles Anathema meets Threshold , but with an original, unique angle.” – Lords of Metal

www.fenmusic.ca

www.ripple-music.com

Sneak Peak at the New Fen Video!

Secret news leaked from the Canadian Northwest. Fen is in the finishing stage of their first major music video. A dark epic filmed with puppets for the amazing song, "Miracle." Sneak peak below. Send us your thoughts!

Moving Forward!

Things are really moving forward here at Ripple Central.

We've got a roster of bands coming that just blow us away. Music that we truly love and can't wait to share with you. Look for our releases early 2010, with tons of surprises in terms of the quality of the vinyl, the quantity of the releases and the tons of free goodies and surprise packages included with each order.

The music we have lined up for you can only be described as the new classic rock. Rock that moves you, rock that lives with you, rock that becomes a part of your life. And that's what we're aiming for here at the Ripple. To introduce all you waveriders to new music and new bands, bands that we hope will follow you for the next 30-40 years. Modern rock, progressive rock, rock in the classic vein. It's all here.

In the 60's and 70's, they had a huge outburst of bands that became their classic rock. Now we're going to bring that sensation kicking and screaming into the modern age.

It's time for your classic rock™

And here at the Ripple, we plan on bringing it to you every day. Send us your thoughts, we'd love to hear from you.